We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christina Roberts a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Christina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success is something that is available to everyone. I truly believe that anyone can be successful at anything if they have a real passion and put in the work. You must wake up everyday and nurture your skill or dream until it becomes a reality. If you want your passion to be your job – you have to treat it like a job. I read once that “Talent is only a nurtured skill”. It resonated with me and to this day those words help me reinvent myself constantly by following my passions and nurturing new skills and ideas. Some people have big dreams but never really have the passion or the drive to put the work into making their dreams happen. It takes time, patience and hard work to truly find success in anything that you do. The rewards can be huge but it all depends on how much you put into it.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up on the East Coast of Florida and eventually made my home here on the East Coast of South Carolina in Pawleys Island. Currently, my work is focused on handmade Ceramic Art and also Woodburnings. I have always expressed myself artistically in many mediums. I knew at a very young age that creativity was one of my superpowers. I went to college for Graphic Design Technology and MultiMedia Design. After many years and a successful career in Computer Arts, I found myself yearning to get back to the joy of making art with primarily my hands and mind and that feeling of accomplishment when you look at a finished piece. I had always wanted to try making pottery and really had no idea what an adventure I was about to go on. It proved to be one of the most challenging and rewarding decisions I have ever made for myself. It was a slow process of reading, learning and practicing. Followed by more reading, learning and practicing while acquiring the tools I needed for an independent home studio. It has taken me many moons and trials and errors to get where I am now and I know I will continue to learn more throughout my life. I also have created a unique process of making woodburnings that utilizes many different techniques including an electric process known as Lichtenberg to burn deep veins into the wood. I study the burns and decide what type of design will work best. I hand burn in the designs and use many layers and techniques to create an almost halographic effect. I love a good artistic challenge and appreciate when someone wants a special or custom piece made. These kinds of pieces challenge me to go beyond what I even think is possible at times and is the ultimate reward!

I specialize in making pieces that are unique and one of a kind and can stand the test of time. I hope the recipient of each and every piece I create will see and feel the love and effort put into every detail. My wish is to create pieces that are heirloom worthy and treasured artifacts in my customer’s lives. I take pride in every piece I create, whether pottery or woodburning, and my hope is to always exceed expectations.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Social Media has been the most effective strategy for me personally. I am constantly posting images and videos of new work in progress and then show the final results when finished. It started slowly but as I got better and more confident with showing my work, I become more brave with interacting with potential customers tagging local shops and areas where others can find the work they see online. Social media is a really great and virtually free resource to promote yourself and have fun and make friends while doing it!

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

In general, I had to let go of the simple mindset that more is better and faster is more efficient. The biggest lesson I have had to learn in this new artistic journey of mine is “Slow and Steady wins the Race”. Patience had never been a huge part of my Graphic Design process. It was all about immediate gratification and how much work can you get done and how fast can you get it done. I had to learn the hard way, just like many things in life, that great things are worth waiting for and also that quality is more important than quantity when it comes to artistic success. Talent is truly a skill that has been nurtured. Through my newly found patience, I discovered many new talents and ideas I didn’t even know I had. I encourage anyone to find something that they love and nurture it. Find patience in watching your dreams grow and never stop learning and challenge yourself!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @stuckinthemudsc
• Facebook: Christina Bowman Roberts